Player-by-player comparison of United against Chelsea.With new Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal spending close to £150m on new players this summer, how do his squad look in comparison to title favourites Chelsea?
SEE ALSO:
Cristiano Ronaldo Manchester United – latest
Eden Hazard Real Madrid – Chelsea star to replace Ronaldo
SEE ALSO: (Images) Kelly Brook designs & models new clothing range for curvy women.
Big names such as Radamel Falcao and Angel Di Maria have come in at Old Trafford, giving them a much better chance of breaking back into the top four, but Chelsea have spent well on the likes of Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa as well, making them early-season favourites to win the Premier League.
Goalkeeper: David de Gea vs Thibaut Courtois
Two superb shot-stoppers, but it is hard to ignore the majestic displays of Thibaut Courtois in his three-year loan spell with Atletico Madrid, even if he is new to the Premier League.
Vote: Courtois
Right-back: Antonio Valencia vs Branislav Ivanovic
Taking slight formation differences into account, these two players currently look like being direct rivals for the right-back slot. Antonio Valencia has not convinced for United in his new wing-back role so far, while Branislav Ivanovic remains one of Chelsea’s most important and reliable players.
Vote: Ivanovic
Left-back: Luke Shaw vs Filipe Luis
Two players we have not seen a lot of yet this season after their summer moves to United and Chelsea, respectively, but considering his transfer fee and experience, Filipe Luis is surely the superior player of the two, despite Shaw’s obvious potential.
Vote: Luis
Centre-back: Marcos Rojo vs John Terry
United new-boy Marcos Rojo may well go on to become a top Premier League centre-back, but at the moment it is surely the more experienced John Terry who gets the nod, with the former England captain being a great leader and inspirational performer for Jose Mourinho’s side.
Vote: Terry
Centre-back: Phil Jones vs Gary Cahill
Defence is clearly not United’s strong point, it would seem, with Phil Jones’ recent performances putting him quite a way from Gary Cahill’s level at the moment, with the Chelsea defender looking a great long-term replacement for his defensive partner Terry.
Vote: Cahill
Defensive midfield: Daley Blind vs Nemanja Matic
Although it is not yet clear where the versatile Daley Blind will play, he looks well suited to the defensive midfield role for United, and a similar style of player to Chelsea’s Nemanja Matic, though it is the Serbian who is surely the better player based on his superb performances since re-joining the Blues in January.
Vote: Matic
Central midfield: Ander Herrera vs Cesc Fabregas
Another of United’s new signings, but another who would struggle to get into the Chelsea team ahead of the highly impressive Cesc Fabregas, who has been in top form since his £30m move to Stamford Bridge from Barcelona this summer.
Vote: Fabregas
Attacking midfield: Angel Di Maria vs Andre Schurrle
Finally a United player comes out on top, with £59.7m signing Angel Di Maria looking a top class signing from Real Madrid. The Argentine was a key performer for the Spanish giants last season, with a brilliant record of 11 goals and 26 assists.
Vote: Di Maria
Attacking midfield: Juan Mata vs Eden Hazard
A battle between Chelsea stars past and present, it is unfortunately Eden Hazard who surely comes out on top over his old team-mate Juan Mata for one of the attacking midfield roles. Although the Spaniard is a fine talent, his form has dipped since moving to United, while Hazard has risen his game tremendously.
Vote: Hazard
Attacking midfield: Wayne Rooney vs Oscar
Although these two play slightly differently, it is possible that United captain Wayne Rooney will take up something of a deeper ‘number 10’ role for his side this season, and he possibly remains a more well-rounded player at his best than Chelsea’s Oscar, though it is certainly a tight battle.
Vote: Rooney
Striker: Radamel Falcao vs Diego Costa
A tough comparison as we are yet to see Radamel Falcao in action for United, but there’s every chance that he could prove a better signing even than the superb Diego Costa, having shown himself to be one of the world’s most deadly finishers for a number of years now. Costa has started brightly, but was previously kept out of the Atletico Madrid team by Falcao.
Vote: Falcao
